The present invention relates to a corner shelf, and more particularly to a corner shelf which is easily mountable on and removable from a wall corner using a three point installation technique.
Conventional corner shelves, adapted to be supported by walls forming a corner, are typically designed to utilize xe2x80x9ca four point installationxe2x80x9d technique. In this technique, there are two laterally spaced openings disposed on each side of the shelf. A total of four support members project inwardly from the corner walls, two support members for each corner wall. Each of the openings is configured and dimensioned to at least partially receive therein a portion of a respective one of the four support members. As used herein, the reference to xe2x80x9cfour point installationxe2x80x9d includes six, eight or more point installations, as may be preferred for a large or heavy corner shelf requiring additional support. Inasmuch as only three points are required to define a planexe2x80x94here, the plane supporting the corner shelfxe2x80x94clearly at least one of the shelf openings and at least one of the support members of the four point installation is superfluous. In other words, three of the support members are operational, and the fourth is either not used (if not in the proper plane) or simply redundant (if in the proper plane). Worse yet, if not in the proper plane the fourth support member typically allows limited tilting or wobbling of the corner shelf depending on where weight is placed on its upper surface.
Conventional corner shelves are also typically designed to utilize a xe2x80x9cthree point installationxe2x80x9d technique. In this technique, there is a single opening on each side of the shelf (or more openings on each side in the case of a large or heavy shelf) and a third opening extending through the shelf apex. A total of three support members projecting inwardly from the corner, one from each corner wall and one from the corner apex, thereby to form a corner apex/shelf apex joint. While the three point installation technique has, as an advantage over the four point installation technique, that it does not require the use of an unnecessary or redundant fourth opening and fourth support member, it has not proven to be entirely satisfactory in use.
A wall corner is defined by the intersection of two walls and may not provide enough structure to support the support member passing thereinto or therethrough. In any case, placement of the support member in the corner apex tends to be quite difficult, especially if it involves drilling through the corner apex, and almost impossible if the walls are formed of masonry. Further, the shelf apex (where the two mutually transverse legs or sides come together) is often difficult to prepare for receipt of a support member, especially where it is necessary to drill through the shelf apex.
Another disadvantage of the conventional three point installation technique is that the presence of the support member bridging the corner apex and the shelf apex interferes with and typically totally precludes the passage of wires between the corner shelf and the wall cornerxe2x80x94e.g., so that electricity can be provided via wires extending from below the shelf to objects supported by the shelf.
A further disadvantage of the conventional three point installation technique is that, in order for the shelf to be easily mountable on or removable from a pair of walls defining the corner, typically some bracket or cleat portion of each of the support members remains visible after installation, thus distracting from the esthetics of the mounting.
Thus neither the conventional three point installation technique using a shelf apex/corner apex support member nor the conventional four point installation technique is entirely satisfactory.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a corner shelf which is easily mountable on or removable from a pair of walls defining a corner, using a novel three point installation technique not involving any shelf apex/corner apex joint.
Another object is to provide such a shelf wherein the support members joining the corner shelf to the corner walls are not each visible, and where preferably at least two of the three support members are not visible at all.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a corner shelf which may be mounted to corner walls by a novel three point installation technique providing a passageway between the shelf apex and the corner apex for at least one wire (such as an electrical wire).
It has now been found that the above and related objects of the present invention are obtained in a corner shelf easily mountable on and removable from a pair of walls defining a corner and a corner apex joining the walls. The corner shelf has two mutually transverse sides and a shelf apex joining the sides, the shelf being configured and dimensioned exclusively for three point installation in a corner. The shelf is characterized by (A) only a pair of laterally spaced openings disposed on one side of the shelf, and (B) only a single opening on the other side of the shelf. Each of the openings is substantially spaced from the shelf apex, and the openings are adapted to collectively mount the shelf in the corner.
Preferably a total of only three support members project inwardly from the corner walls, and each of the openings is configured and dimensioned to at least partially receive therein a portion of a respective one of the three support members.
In a preferred embodiment, the pair of openings on one side of the shelf are side-opening apertures configured and dimensioned to extend 360xc2x0 about a cross section of the portion of the respective support members received therein, and the single opening on the other side of the shelf is a bottom-opening recess configured and dimensioned to extend not more than about 180xc2x0 about a cross section of the portion of its respective support member received therein. The pair of openings facilitates initial easy mounting thereof on their respective support member portions, and the single opening facilitates subsequent easy mounting thereof on its respective support member portion. Further, the single opening facilitates initial easy removal thereof from its respective support member portion, and the pair of openings facilitates subsequent easy removal thereof from their respective support member portions.
Preferably the apertures totally conceal their respective support member portions therein, and the recess conceals at least a top aspect of its respective support member portion therein.
When the shelf is mounted to the corner walls, the shelf apex is preferably spaced from the corner apex to define a vertically extending passageway therebetween for the passage of at least one wire. For example, the shelf apex may be chamfered to define the passageway.
The present invention also encompasses in combination the corner shelf, a pair of walls defining a corner and a corner apex joining the walls, and a total of only three support members projecting inwardly from the corner walls. One corner wall is characterized by a pair of laterally spaced inwardly projecting support members, and the other corner wall is characterized by a single inwardly projecting support member. Each of the three support members is substantially spaced from the corner apex, and the three support members are adapted to collectively mount the shelf in the corner.